Tuesday Aug 3rd, 2010
Chorizo-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates in piquillo pepper sauce
This dish is a Spanish-style tapas. Since it’s fairly carb-heavy, I’d recommend more as an appetizer or hors d’ouevres to share with multiple people. This is a dish where you want to spend the money for good dates and the piquillo peppers. I located good dates at Green Aisle Grocer on Passyunk Ave. and the piquillo peppers at DiBruno Bros. You can use jarred roasted red peppers as a substitute, but the piquillo flavor is much nicer.
10-12 large dates, preferably organic Medjool
1 jar piquillo peppers
1 large chorizo sausage (make sure that it doesn’t have added sugar)
3 tbsps. organic crushed tomatoes
1 heaping tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
~6 slices thin-sliced bacon (no added nitrates)
Put half of the jar of piquillo peppers into a food processor. Add the tomatoes, sherry vinegar, and smoked paprika. Process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
With a sharp paring knife, slice down one side of the chorizo sausage and remove casing. Also slice down one side of each date to open up the cavity. Take a small amount of chorizo (about the size of the end of your thumb) and press into the date. Mold slightly with your hand so the finished date has a nice round shape with the meat inside. One large chorizo link should fill about 12 dates, maybe a few more.
Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap half of a bacon slice around each date. Tuck the end of the bacon slice into one of the wrapped edges to secure it.
In a skillet or saute pan, brown the bacon-wrapped dates until you have rendered out the bacon fat a bit and the bacon has browned slightly, but the bacon should not be completely cooked. If your skillet is oven-proof, pour off the excess fat or transfer the dates to an oven-proof dish. Pour piquillo pepper sauce over the top of the dates.
Place skillet or dish into a 400F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until bacon appears brown and thoroughly cooked. Enjoy with friends!
2 Comments Posted by Catlyn
I also found organic Medjool dates that are a nice size in the produce section of Whole Foods today. The price was comparable to Green Aisle Grocers, maybe a hair cheaper for the volume you get.
I’m drooling all over my cubicle.